Kuidaore

The aesthetics of this restaurant is INSANE (in the best way possible). As soon as you step into the restaurant, the aesthetics will blow you away if you are a anime fan. Visuals on its own I would give this 10 out of 10. The seating arrangements are also very comfortable, not too loud/busy when I went which was during lunch time on a weekend. Comparing it to other ramens I've had in Ottawa, I have to admit it's nothing crazy. After eating it don't expect to be blown away because there are better ramen, but at the same time the flavours are still there so it's not bad! The reason I have to give my experience a 3/5 is not only because of the average tasting ramen, but the service was also lacking... don't get me wrong the staff are very friendly, but after placing our order, we nearly waited for 45 minutes-1 hour. I know it's partly our fault for not following up with the waiters sooner, but we're pretty understanding people and we don't like confrontation when it's not needed. But around that 45 minutes mark, I had to say something because your girl was STARVED. Stomach growling and everything. The staff finally checked for us and they said they've JUST placed the order in... however the waiter was super nice and when we went to pay at the end, he apologized and defaulted us to not provide any tips given the long wait- which was much appreciated.

The ramen was standard fare. The price is standard for Ottawa ramen. The portion is filling though, you don't have to order extra noodles to feel full unlike some other ramen places. The service was so-so, not the most attentive. Parking on Preston is always a headache, especially in winter when there is snow. For the hassle of parking vs the meal I probably won't go back anytime soon.

I forgot my lunch at home and was too indecisive and too lazy to walk anywhere, but I had narrowed it down to ramen as an option and a coworker said they'd order it, too. Decision made. We both got tonkotsu black ramen. I got greedy (typical) and also got takoyaki and kaki fry. The ramen came with pork belly, egg, kikurage (wood ear mushroom), nori, green onion, black garlic oil, ramen noodles, tonkotsu black (black garlic pork flavour) broth. The broth and noodles came separated so as not to soak up too much liquid too quickly. The containers were a bit misleading - there was plenty of broth and plenty of noodles and fillings. The broth was flavourful and I loved that it came with everything I wanted and I didn't have to add anything for an extra cost. Presentation was also nice, even for delivery. The eight pieces of takoyaki came with bonito flakes, tonkatsu sauce, and kewpie mayo. They weren't very crispy after delivery, especially since they had so much sauce, but they weren't soggy. They had a lot of flavour but I would've preferred to taste the octopus more than all the sauce, which was a lot more than I typically like. I did appreciate the generous amount of bonito flakes. I had never had kaki fry before and they were so good! The order came with five pieces and they were Japanese-style tempura oysters with tonkotsu sauce. I preferred these more because yes, they were good, but it was great that they stayed super crispy, even after our meetings and everything, without any sauce on them, which came on the side instead. It also came with a slice of lemon, which was a nice addition to lighten/brighten up the fried food. The delivery order didn't come with any utensils, which was crushing since the office got rid of any utensils at work and we didn't bring any. Thankfully, we were able to get some from a coffee shop nearby, but definitely something to keep in mind. You could try to request utensils, but not sure if they provide any.

Folks I have pretty much given up on good sushi in Ottawa. One alternative to getting the Japanese food fix is an izakaya so decided to visit this one. I tried the following Takowasabi raw version. I enjoyed this dish as I feel it goes well with beer. Thankfully nori was included which is welcome. Ebi mayo decent as well. Piping hot. Sweet chili sauce for dipping which might not be to your liking Pumpkin croquet these came very hot as special seasonal item. Ok as well though I luv the larger version served with a boiled egg stuffed inside. Beer list is extensive with some Japanese imports that I haven't seen before. My friends ordered a few sushi sushi rolls which looked much like other in Ottawa i.e. just sad Otherwise for cooked and fried stuff this place will do fine 3 stars wish 3.5 stars for this town bonus

It did not pretend to be anything it was not. It was a tasty place that was casual with really tasty food with many options. Everything was good 4/5, but nothing too exciting. I wasnt blown away but it was tasty still, it was reliable and consistent. I really liked how you had the option of splitting the ramen into two portions into two bowls, so you could order other items on the menu. Was nice you could order individual skewers to get variety. Only downside was everything is saucy. There was BBQ or sweet and tangy sauce on the fried squid skewer and chicken skewer. Was not what i wanted, but just know there may be sauce on random stuff.

Kuidaore is a super cute anime themed Izakaya with amazing anime artwork and decor around the restaurant. I haven't been back for a couple years but am glad I found my way back! We came for an early dinner and ordered the karaage, fried squid tentacles and okonomiyaki. They were all good portion sizes for the prices and everything was made fresh and tasty. I personally think the karaage could be marinated with a bit more ginger and soy. This spot has better food than Izakaya Shingen imo but the latter has a different vibe. Their menu is scanned by QR code and they have a fairly large selection of ramen, classic Izakaya items, sushi/sashimi, desserts and drinks. They also continue to check vaccine records which I respect. Service is on point.

One of my favourite restaurants in Ottawa. Tasty food, unique menu, and beautiful decor.

Kuidaore is a decent option, with some good food choices. Be ready for the anime/pop culture theming, its distinct. This might be cute for you, or it might be kitschy. No covid safety, no masking at all, its indoors and you're pressed up against others, so its not a safe option for covid I had hiyashi wakame, tea, agedashi tofu, katsu, karaage, okonomiyaki The okonomiyaki fell apart a bit, this part was substandard. Mind you, I've been spoiled having okonomiyaki in Hiroshima, Osaka, Tokyo and Okonomi House in Toronto. The other things were pretty alright, but I wouldn't say it was a top option. Its a fun visit, but I don't plan to come back.

Great food, fresh fish, ramen noodles were amazing. Very loud ambience, waiters took long to do things like bring water and cutlery. 3/5 service

Great food, great service, fun ambiance, large portions. The fried chicken appetizer is the bomb!

Food was exceptional, my personal favorite is the wasabi fire shrimp. The staff are very friendly and the decor is quite pretty.

Amazing service, food, and atmosphere. It also had very cool anime decor if you're interested. I recommend to everyone!!

Excellent. Gyudon was very good. Tonkatsu good too. Would definitely go back. Yup we would.

Stumbled upon this place before a comedy show nearby. Checked reviews and it was good. Lots of people inside and we got the last two seats along the bar table. The service was quick as we told the server that we needed to go in less than an hour. I had the veggie ramen and to my first disappointment, the soup base was not hot at all (temperature wise). The veggies listed on the menu was barely there. The one good thing was the four pieces of tofu was hot. Soup base was good but overall the portion was small. For $13.50 it wasn't worth the money at all. My partner had the pork katsu and it was also a disappointment. He mentioned the rice was mushy. The portion also looked small from other restaurant that he tried in Toronto. Verdict: nice place and decor. But I would NOT go back. Bring your date somewhere else!!!

Very nice restaurant , the curry katsudon was delicious, juicy, flavorful, and a good portion. I am not a huge fan of baby tomatoes, but interestingly these ones tasted amazing with the pork. The decor is very cool, especially for those who have an interest in Japanese pop culture, and the service was also excellent. I'm not sure if it was the owner or the chef, but a gentleman who was not the waiter, up to me to ensure that the food tasted good it was very friendly. The waitress was also very nice. I would definitely come back. The proximity to Dow's Lake is also very convenient for an after meal walk.

The BEST place in Ottawa for delicious Ramen and Sushi. Very happy to be back this past weekend to experience in-dining again since officially moving to Ottawa. Anyone I have taken here is always really impressed and leaves with a changed opinion on how they feel about Ramen or Sushi in the best way. Can't wait to be here every other week in the colder months. Thank you for the amazing meals Kuidaore!

They're doing so many things right! They have amazingly mind staff and outstanding good! The korroke is amazing. Veggie gyoza is delicious. I'd recommend trying a miso ramen with veggie gyoza as the protein!

I had a great time here and enjoyed most of the dishes! First off, service was super friendly; the server was smiley and personable, and funny to boot. He seemed amused that us 3 girls ordered so many dishes! Here's what we tried: - Matcha lemonade: more lemony than matcha-ey...if there was more matcha flavour it would be great! - Kuidaore omakase: a selection of torched sushi and sashimi; they were all very fresh; perhaps the flavour could be increased with the toppings, as they were all quite light-tasting. - Skewers (chicken hearts): tender and satisfying, I would get more, although the skewers are pretty small. - Scallop sashimi: really fresh, sweet, and creamy. Definitely want to try more raw dishes next time! - Takoyaki: very savoury, although not that crispy. Be careful, as it arrives super hot! - Toko wasabi: pretty strong with the wasabi flavour; I could only eat little bites of this, as it was a bit overpowering. If you love wasabi, this would be perfect for you! - Agedashi tofu: deliciously hearty, the tofu was quite salty and had lots of flavour. It's sad the broth can't be drunk as it was too salty! - Tonkatsu black ramen: very similar to Sansotei, except less salty, which was a good thing; we finished all of the broth! The garlic was not overpowering, and the pork was flavorful (although I think sansotei's was more tender). All in all, hits were the ramen and raw items. The interiors are really cozy and super intricately decorated, which I found enhanced the experience. Music was relevant as many tracks were from Japanese bands. Washrooms were super clean and roomy. Definitely will be back to try some more of my favourites, especially the raw items!

It was unfortunate I wasn't able to try the ramen at the restaurant and had to order instead but I have to mention that I still received the best presentation. Everything about this ramen is amazing! The noodles are cooked to an ideal texture, the broth is rich in flavour, plenty of toppings (bamboo, tofu, green onions, mushrooms, etc...) and super filling. I thought after trying J:unique it will be challenging to find a new favourite but I was wrong! This place is definitely a must-try for every noodle addict out there!

Delicious food. Fun atmosphere. Nice service. My favorites - any of their seared Salmon or Tuna dishes, salmon tartare and squid balls (takoyaki) Wall paintings are incredible! (hand drawn/painted by their own sushi chef)

Kuidore Izakaya is a welcomed addition to Ottawa's culinary scene offering plenty of Japanese dishes you could previously not find in Ottawa. An izakaya is a Japanese pub, which often sells small plate dishes, such as karaage (bite-sized fried chicken), kushiyaki (grilled meat or vegetable skewers), edamame (soybeans in the pod), agedashi dofu (deep-fried tofu in broth). Kuidore (which means to eat oneself bankrupt) has a massive menu of classic Izakaya dishes, ramen, sushi, and cocktails (including sake-bombs) that will make it easy to find plenty of dishes you want to try.

**3.5** Came here with my Ottawa friends for dinner before driving back to Toronto. Food wasn't bad by any means, service was OK but what stood out was all the art they had on the walls which I heard was all hand-drawn! The restaurant isn't too big and has a "westernized izakaya" sort of vibe going on. Ordered a decent amount of between 4 people I can't remember exactly our entire order but the only thing I really didn't like was the Chizu Wontons, which to be honest was something I was looking forward to as I have a obsession with cheese wontons from ayce sushi places :(. Other reviews say the ramen just taste like instant noodles but I would beg a differ as I really enjoyed the black tonkatsu, I also saw almost every other table with bowls of ramen so they must be having a off day when y'all be coming in. Service was OK nothing to complain about nor write home again though. we were also the first table to come in and the only table for the majority of our stay (place was filling up as we were leaving) so I wouldn't expect anything less really. Bill ended up being $40 per person which isn't bad at all pretty fairly priced. I would come back here if I didn't have any other restaurants in mind to try for future Ottawa visits.

A great place with amazing interior. I love the Japanese tree near the corner of the bar. It was a beautiful setting for a tapas. The ramen was good and with the right portions. The service was good as well probably because it wasn't too busy.

i love love love this place! Not only are the ramens and sushi excellent, but the staff is always super nice and helpful! I always have cute hand written thank you note when I order!

I've gotten takeout from Kuidaore a few times since the pandemic started, and the food has always been delicious and the staff lovely. Great karaage, great tonkotsu ramen, just a wonderful experience all around.

Good food, nice location, friendly staff. Highly recommend the kaarage, fishball and beef skewers. Loved the fire shrimp though we aren't really fans of wasabi. Deep fried ice cream was good but was too full to really eat the dough part.

I was a bit worried about ordering ramen for take-out but this place did AMAZING! The ramen itself was so tasty. The tonkatsu broth immediately fulfilled all my pork belly cravings. The egg was cooked just perfectly and I was quite surprised to see that the nori wasn't soggy when I opened up the bowl. The texture of the noodles was perfect too. The ramen was also packaged in very tight spill-proof bowls (to prevent spilling while driving home) and nicely stacked in a plastic bag using cardboard to provide support. You can tell they really put in the effort to package the food up well so that by the time you got home to eat it wasn't a mess. To top it all off a sweet little hand-written note was added to the package. I'm definitely ordering from here again ^_^

Great new gem! Trendy modern interior, delicious food and friendly staff. Will come again.

This is my favourite izakaya in Ottawa. The service is friendly, the atmosphere and interior decoration is nice, and above all: the flavours are very authentic, and the food is delicious. I prefer to visit with a group of 4 or more and share dishes, but a few snacks on your own could be nice too!

Disappointed. I went here a few months ago and loved it (sashimi rice bowl and karaage), which is why I decided to come back. The decor/ambiance is still nice and the service is good, however the food quality has gone down drastically. The chicken skewers were dryer than last time, and very small - not that worth it. The bacon and green onion skewers were delicious but there were only 3 on the stick - a little small once again. The salmon aburi dish was just not good. I really wanted to like it because it was an attractive dish to look at, but the rice was mushy, the fish was average and the mayo was unsavoury. It's also a small portion size for $15, which would have been alright if the taste compensated for it (it didn't). The tomato ramen tasted bland and very inauthentic, almost like instant noodles.. the noodles were too soft and the whole dish just tasted cheap. One good thing about this was that they gave a lot of toppings (egg, seaweed, etc) which was appreciated. Finally, the bento box set D is what saved our experience from being completely mediocre. Delicious karaage and great portion size for an adult. However our impression overall was that this restaurant has a cute and trendy vibe but the food just doesn't hold up in terms of authenticity and quality.

Compared to Sansotei (the uber popular ramen place in town), this place just does not cut it. The ramen noodles taste like instant noodles. The broth and the pieces of pork were good though. They have the exact same flavours as Sansotei and a few more. The tuna pokebowl was WAY over marinated, all I could taste was sodium. The tuna flavour was not there at all. Not many toppings either for the price, go to Burrito Sensei instead for pokebowls. Service was however very positive and cheerful, although they didn't seem to be very knowledgeable about what actually went in their dishes.

Looking for an alternative to the usual Sansotei and Koichi for our ramen fix, we decided to visit Kuiadore for the first time based on strong Google review score (should have checked Yelp too, which seems to be far more accurate). The decor of this restaurant is quite appealing and the vibe is relaxed. The service is friendly if slow and pretentious; it's dumb to disallow people to take a table while waiting for the rest of their party when you don't have people waiting. This restaurant is not popular enough for line-ups and for good reason. We tried the ramen, a sushi roll and karaage chicken. I'll start with the good: the karaage chicken is quite delicious. The mayonnaise-based sauce is different from the offering at similar places and very tasty, and the chicken was hot, crispy and juicy. No complaints. My 6 year old downed her sushi and seemed to enjoy it, but I did not try it so I can't comment. The ramen however is terrible - truly shocking. I find it difficult to imagine how people could give strong reviews for ramen that fails the two most important factors: 1) the noodles were exactly the kind of poor textured, tasteless stuff you get out of a dried ramen packet, and 2) the broth (tonkatsu black in my case) was thin, flavourless, watery, and I suspect the colour came from milk added, rather than the richness of a good ramen bone broth. To add insult to injury it contained a standard hard boiled and halved egg that wasn't pickled or marinated as it should be. The ramen was disappointing on every level. The proprietors should put as much effort into the quality of their food as they do the decor and cute cartoon drawings in their menu. If you are a ramen fanatic do yourself a favour and skip Kuiadore.

Amazing ramen so delicious! Service is slow to order but friendly staff so don't be in a hurry. Dumplings were also great.

Fantastic place with delicious chicken karrage and skewers, along with some of the best sweet potato fries I've ever had. Service is great and I highly recommend getting a sake bomb for the experience. Best 5$ money can buy.

Alright food, terrible service. Waited 45 minutes for food (after waiting 20 minutes for the waiter to take our order) and when the food arrived, they screwed up my order. Worst part, however, is that one of the members of our party had to wait 30 additional minutes for their food to arrive, at which point the rest of us were done eating. The food was alright, though the servings were a bit small. I definitely do not recommend this place.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this place! It's got a super high rating in another review reference already, and I'm not surprised! Favorite dishes: Chicken karagge, fiery spicy shrimp and the beef skewer. Also good: Okonomiyaki, chicken heart skewer and the squid tentacle skewer. I'm really not a fan of chicken flavor in general, which is what you get with chicken hearts. However, the meat was very tender and I have to acknowledge that if you otherwise enjoy the flavor, this is a good dish. What stood out most was the service. We watched as the staff paid a great deal of attention to the presentation of desserts and made sure to chat up the customers and make them feel welcome. They seemed genuine, unlike most places where the staff are courteous out of obligation but don't really listen to you. Three ramen we saw being served looked amazing. We are actually heading back now to try some. I have a feeling we will also have some karagge or fiery shrimp too. At some point I want to try the desserts if I'm not too full from everything else!

Okonomiyaki probably the best I've had in Ottawa...However server seemed a bit lost...Had to repeatedly ask him for requests and he would forget..Mixed up our order...Ramen takes forever to make for some odd reason.

My friends kept raving about this place so I finally decided to give it a try during my visit to Ottawa. I couldn't decide what to get so I got the bento box set A and a zengria. They were delicious! Will definitely visit again and try all their dishes.

This place is amazing, definitely a new favorite. Before being seated, I was already wowed by their decor. It's so cute and definitely highlights the effort put in to make this place special. We were seated quickly and the staff was so friendly and welcoming. An example of staff who are actually attentive and make you feel like they want you there. The bartender was chatting with everyone at the bar, walking around and checking on tables and doing whatever little things he could to improve guest experiences and doing it all with the most pleasant attitude. The decor, the staff, the layout of the restaurant and the music all come together to create a really great atmosphere. And of course, the most important part, the food, was delicious. The portions are just the right size and the prices fit them perfectly. This was one of the best restaurant experiences I've had in a while. I was there less than twelve hours ago and I'm already thinking about going back.

Best Ramen in the city! I'll be there every week! New spot, hoping people hear about this gem and they get busy and stay around for a while!

This was an interesting dining experience as I had good and disappointing experience at the same time during our visit there. Lets start with the positive. We had ordered a few of izakaya dishes. It was off to a great start with the korokke and the kuidaore fries. The dipping sauces were really the star of those two dishes. Our next two sharing plates arrived and it was the okonomiyaki and the takoyaki, the staple foods of any izakaya. Unfortunately, it was mediocre. The takoyaki was what you would get from a frozen bag of takoyaki you can find at your local Asian grocery store. The okonomiyaki was too thin and could use a bit more ingredients in my opinion. It wasn't bad, just not great. The salmon maki sushi was again, fine, but not great. However, the low for me was the ramen. I was able to try two flavours of ramen. The tonkotsu black, and the Karaage ramen with miso broth. In my opinion, the soup is the most important part of any good bowl of ramen. And quite frankly, the two soups that I had were lacking. It was quite water down and lacks the flavour that one would expect, especially the tonkotsu. The noodle itself was also disappointing. Both noodles that I had were ordered with the thin noodle. It was over cooked. It did not have the al dente texture that I had expected. It was too mushy for my liking. The noodle itself feels like they were from a packet of instant Doll Noodles. I definitely expect better noodles when I go out for ramen. Another thing that I look for when it comes to a good bowl of quality ramen is the boiled egg. I really enjoy a good egg in my ramen. The regular, half boil egg was okay, although I would have prefer ajitama (marinated soft boiled egg). Again, this was fine, but not great. The black fungus in the tonkotsu was undercooked while the bamboo in the karaage ramen was over cooked. However, the proteins (fried chicken, and pork) were well cooked, especially the fried chicken. It really help saving the bowl of ramen. All in all, the ramen would be okay if it were not for the water downed broth and the texture of the noodles in both bowls of the ramen. This was a disappointing end to the meal we had there. So all in all, it was okay, and I certainly would come again. But I will pass on the ramen.

All I can say: the best Japanese restaurant in Ottawa. Their ramen NEVER disappoints! Cocktails are unique and delicious, so make sure to try a couple. Beautiful restaurant and great service. One of my absolute favourite places to dine at!

Have been here twice, great little place to eat and hangout! They have a good selection of ramen and everything we tried so far has been delicious. Decor is nice and service is excellent. We need more places like this in Ottawa!

I've dined here twice, and I have to say the food is very good. On my first visit I had the ramen, which I enjoyed, though it was not as good as Sansotei as other reviewers have noted. On my second visit, my partner and I had the sushi, which was delicious, but we experienced an issue with service. When we placed our orders, we were clear that one sushi platter would be for me and the other for my partner -- partner even asked if his platter would be enough of a meal for one person and server said yes. We were served my platter first. After waiting for the other platter for quite a while, we were told that all dishes were for sharing, and that we should have asked for both dishes to be brought out at the same time. When we explained that we thought we made it clear when we were ordering that we were selecting individual meals, the staff became very defensive. The staff did apologize after we explained that I couldn't eat some of the items on my partner's platter. But all in all, my partner watched me eat, then when his food arrived, I watched him eat. We did not get to dine together and it negatively impacted the experience.